


RoadTrip Oneshots

by Hi_Im_Lou



Category: RoadTrip (Band)
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Deep feelings, Fluff, Gen, I suck at tagging, M/M, Multi, oneshots, will maybe update these tags as I go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2020-10-19 22:29:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20664845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hi_Im_Lou/pseuds/Hi_Im_Lou
Summary: Exactly as the title says, I'm migrating my Wattpad oneshots over to here as well





	1. Rylyn - Disappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Using this as an excuse to vent feelings I get every now and then that I can't really describe and as Rye's admittedly my favourite he gets to do it for me. This is also set when they were living at Hogwarts because I need the flat bit of roof outside Brook's room.

It was half past one in the morning and only just above zero but Rye sat on the sort of balcony outside of Brooklyn's window in just a t-shirt and joggers. He was hoping the cold would numb him on the outside as much as his feelings did on the inside.

The rest of the boys had gone out for the night, rewarding themselves after a long two weeks of hard work recording covers and videos to accompany them. Of course, Rye had had the option to go with them but he'd opted to stop at home, excusing himself as not feeling well. It wasn't a complete lie, it's just he wasn't sick.

His head felt fuzzy, like he was floating in a pool of his own emotions but not one stuck around long enough for him to make sense of it. Each one was just out of reach, drifting to the forefront of his mind but disappearing just before he could really focus in on it. He felt disconnected from himself, like nothing was keeping him tethered to reality.

A cool breeze blew towards the house and Rye shivered as it made him shuffle backwards. It was nice, grounding, reminding him of where he was when he started wavering too close to spacing out completely. He looked out over the garden, the moonlight casting shadows and highlights that made it look almost ethereal. Looking up at the moon itself Rye was pleased to see stars. They seemed to take it in turns to grow brighter before fading back to singular white dots scattered across the expanse of the sky. He wasn't sure how long he watched them for, it could've been a few minutes or a few hours, time just became a hypothetical construct as he sat there. 

A scratching sound behind him made him jump, turning quickly and almost losing his balance. A hand shot out and grabbed his arm, saving him from narrowly slipping off the platform he hadn't noticed he'd moved to the very edge of.

"Careful, don't want you to fall."

"Hi Brooky." Rye said quietly, moving so his back was against the windows.

"Hi Rye." Brooklyn couldn't help the smile at the almost innocent way Rye greeted him.

"What are you doing back so early? I thought you and the boys were out partying?"

"Mate, it's nearly four am. Anyways, what are you doing sat out here in just a t-shirt, thought you weren't feeling well?" Brook put a hand on Rye's arm, hissing at how cold his skin felt and feeling the tremors running through the older boy's body. "Bloody hell Rye you're freezing! Come inside, now."

Realising Brooklyn's tone held no room for argument, and honestly he was a little scared that he'd apparently lost over two hours just sat out in the cold and dark, Rye quickly complied. Absently he grabbed Brook's hand, interlocking their fingers and squeezing slightly as he followed the blonde boy inside.

Getting Rye settled on his bed, Brook closed and locked the windows before going to his wardrobe and rummaging through it until he found his warmest hoodie. Turning back to the other boy, he quickly gestured for Rye to lift his arms. Pulling the hoodie down in place, he flipped the hood off of Rye's head and looked him in the eyes.

"How long were you sat out there for?"

There was a long pause.

"I don't know, three maybe four hours?"

Brook decided he didn't like that it came out as a question. He sighed and pulled Rye up, keeping their hands together as he led the way downstairs. The other's quiet acceptance concerned him more. Reaching the kitchen, he heard the other boys still laughing and joking, Jack and Andy very tipsy, Sonny less so. Brook himself had only had a handful of drinks, choosing instead to actually remember the night and just thrive on a mellow buzz running through his veins instead of getting blackout drunk. The others had followed suit and their night had been spent playing pool and darts in a pub for an hour or so, moving on to a karaoke bar to sing a few songs each before ending up in a nightclub to dance the early morning away. It had been a wicked night but as the buzz wore off and tiredness set in they'd decided to head home.

Andy looked away from the new RoadTrip memes Jack was showing him and Sonny and spotted Brook and Rye hovering in the doorway. Immediately he felt sober, the somber look on Rye's face the equivalent of a bucket of cold water dumped over him. Holding fire on the panic attempting to rise, he offered a small smile to them both. He wasn't particularly comforted by the half-hearted ones he received in return.

Brook caught the worry on Andy's face and did his best to make his smile more reassuring. Knowing it wasn't really working, he shifted his focus to making sure Rye was okay. He saw the faraway look making brown eyes appear glassy and let the older boy lead him into the conservatory. Cushions were scattered around from the epic pillow fight they'd had before they'd gone out and it didn't take long for Rye to position one under his head as he looked through the glass ceiling to keep staring at the stars.

Jack and Sonny shuffled over, the two taller boys just shrugging and laying down beside Rye and grabbing their own pillows. Sonny held Rye's hand which wasn't being waved in Brook's direction, humming quietly as he alternated between playing with the rings on both their fingers and squeezing gently. Jack rested his head on Sonny's other shoulder, pointing up at the sky at the shapes he could see drawn by the stars.

Brook and Andy shared another concerned look but rolled their eyes and joined the cuddle pile on the floor. Brook captured Rye's waving hand, interlocking their fingers as he sat down using his free hand to lean back on. Andy settled with his head in Brook's lap, laying comfortably next to Rye and tangling their legs together.

Nothing was said for a long time, the five boys just stargazing in silence. One by one they fell asleep, Jack's quiet snores quickly accompanied by Andy's soft breathing. Sonny turned on his side, Rye's hand now trapped between their ribcages. The space behind him was quickly filled by Jack shuffling backwards, laying back to back with Sonny and sandwiching the older boy between him and Rye.

Brook looked down and saw Rye was still awake, watching the sky slowly getting lighter as sunrise loomed closer, the stars dimming and fading until they couldn't be seen anymore. He rubbed the older boy's shoulder gently, pressing a hand to Rye's neck and smiling slightly as it felt a hell of a lot warmer than it had when he'd found him sat outside.

"You finally gonna tell me what's going on in that head of yours?"

Rye took a deep breath. "You ever just want to not exist?"

Brook sucked in a harsh breath, one which Rye quickly sought to ease.

"Not like die or anything, just not exist. Like as if you never existed. So it's like no one knows you, you're just a face. No expectation, no relationships with people, good or bad ones. You're there but you don't mean anything, a fresh start almost."

Shuffling closer, careful not to disturb Andy's sleep, the blonde boy squeezed Rye's hand and used his other hand to run through soft brown hair.

"Can't say I have if I'm honest."

Pushing his head more into Brook's hand, enjoying the feeling of fingers running over his scalp, Rye sighed and carried on quietly.

"I don't know how to explain my feelings. It's like some days, probably ninety percent of the time, I'm fine. Everything's great, you boys are all great, I feel fantastic, life is literally perfect you know? But that other ten percent is how I feel now. Disconnected in a way I can't describe but obviously I'm still here? It's like I'm floating, and nothing feels wrong but it doesn't feel right? And it worries me, I get scared that I can't pinpoint how I'm feeling. Because really I don't have a reason to feel empty like this, do I?"

Brook sighed, brushing his fingers over Rye's forehead gently.

"You never have to justify your feelings Ryan. They're yours, you feel them, it's okay to feel things. Even if you don't think you can, you're allowed to feel. I can't say I've ever felt the way you're saying, like I'm in a void or something, but I know the feeling of panic over feelings if that makes sense."

He felt Rye nod under his hand and smiled at the tiny kiss that was pressed to his wrist.

"Sometimes I worry that you boys will get rid of me."

Rye tried to sit up and face Brook at the statement. His argument was on the tip of his tongue when the younger boy pushed him back down and he huffed out a breath as he hit the floor. Brook's hand returned to his head, fingers back running through his hair.

"I know you won't, I know that it's silly, but I can't help it. Sometimes I worry that one day you won't joke about me being annoying, or you'll realise I'm not the best singer to keep with the band, or you'll just stop loving me for any other number of reasons. Deep down I know it'd never happen, that you boys love me for me no matter how loud and obnoxious I can be sometimes. Does it stop me feeling that way, no of course not, but that's why I come have a cuddle. There's four other people in this house I can rely on unconditionally to definitely love me, plus a couple extras. I very rarely get denied cuddles and that makes the feeling go away for a bit longer."

Silence descended upon them again as Rye absorbed what Brook had said. He knew logically that he could go to any of the boys when he started feeling floaty and they'd listen. They may not be able to help, but they would definitely be able to support him, be there for him, do their very best to distract him from his own thoughts. He looked up, catching Brook's eyes.

"You'll always have me. Even if the others all got taken over by evil twins, you've always got me."

The younger boy grinned at him fondly, jokingly rubbing under his chin the way they'd do to Biscuit, before tapping him on the nose.

"Same. Even if you think it's a stupid time or a stupid feeling, you can come to me and we can cuddle and talk and look at the stars if they're out."

"Deal."

Both boys looked up at the sky again, watching as the last remnants of night disappeared and the sun came up. The feelings may come and go with inexplicable patterns but at least they had each other, and if when the others woke up several hours later with groggy minds and a dead taste in their mouths they cooed over the two cuddled up tightly on the floor no one had to know. At least until the pictures of "Rylyn cuddles 🙈❤️🐝" hit Instagram and Twitter.


	2. Randy - I Miss Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I stumbled across a load of Rykey and Mindy fan made videos and got hit with a wave of nostalgia and sadness so this happened, at some point I'll write something happy.

Andy knew that Mikey deciding to leave the band was going to affect Rye the most, but that the younger boy would also hide that hurt the best.

Although they all acknowledged Mikey was doing what was best for him both mentally and emotionally, it didn't make it any easier to know that you weren't going to see your best friend every day the same way you had for the past three years. Going from five boys crammed into one room with bunk beds and a sofa, to six boys sharing a two bedroom flat, and then to a huge house with their own rooms all earned through hard work and dedication was a massive change, but one they'd weathered together. For that to all end wasn't going to be easy, not with how closely knit and codependent they'd become on one another. Happiness came first though, that all of them had agreed on from the start.

When the day came they were all subdued. Despite having known for months, the video telling the fans of Mikey's decision was a painful pill to swallow for all of them. They let Blair set the tone and pace, allowing Mikey to fully justify (not that he had to) and explain his decision and that his relationships with the rest of them weren't going to change. They all chipped in, agreeing and sharing their well wishes and fond memories. Andy couldn't look up much, not wanting the fans to pick up on his deeper feelings of sadness and he subtly tried to keep an eye on Rye.

The younger boy was putting on a brave front but it seemed only Andy and maybe Mikey himself who picked up on it. Typical Rye, feeling like he had to be strong for everyone and slap a smile on even when inside he was breaking. The blonde was worried about what would happen when they actually said goodbye. It was one thing knowing that Mikey would be leaving, but another thing altogether to watch him go. He knew Jack and Brook were upset no matter how supportive they were, and he himself was fighting down the urge to cry.

As they were watching Mikey depart, videos for Instagram filmed as well as unrecorded heartfelt messages exchanged. Andy pawed at his eyes to rid the wetness, knowing in his heart of hearts that Mikey was going to be happier and that's what mattered. He glanced over his shoulder as Rye and Mikey were sharing their goodbyes and caught the tension is Rye's shoulders as Mikey whispered something in his ear. One last tight hug and then Mikey was walking away, shouting stupid jokes behind him and waving one last time.

Rye reappeared at his side, silently reaching for his hand. Andy didn't hesitate to interlock their fingers, squeezing gently and running his thumb over Rye's softly. The journey home was even more somber than when they'd left and it was no surprise they were all emotionally drained.

A month and a half later and life looked very different to that day.

Sonny had joined the band and got along with them all, the fans seemed to really like him and their EP was widely adored by devoted Roadies. The music videos were only improving after each release courtesy of Connor and Alex's expertise and Robbie was perfecting the art of the vlogs released to their second channel. There was a fresh determination present in the house, one which was palpable but no one wanted to address for fear of breaking it.

Of course not every day was perfect and they each still had their ups and downs. Andy was struggling with a song, cooped up in his room and on the verge of throwing his notebook out the window. He pushed his guitar away from him, closing the book and dropping it to the floor beside his bed. He lay back on his pillows, looking up at the ceiling as he huffed out a stressed breath.

Debating whether he wanted to go downstairs for a break or just soldiering on and trying to finish the song he'd started, the door to his room opened. Rye walked in, a mug in each hand and a half-hearted smile on his face. Andy frowned in return when he saw the tear tracks on Rye's cheeks glistening in the light as he turned his head.

"Hey Fovvs."

"Hey babe. What you got there?" Andy sat up, peering into the mugs as Rye got closer. He patted the space next to him, moving his guitar to its stand so that the younger boy could sit next to him.

"Tea for me but when I heard Sonny and Brook making hot chocolate I made them make you one too."

He took a seat next to the blonde, passing over the mug with 'AF' on the side and cradling his own mug closer to himself, the warmth hitting him in the face.

"Thanks Bee." Andy took the mug gratefully, inhaling the sweet aroma before taking a careful sip and hissing as he slightly burnt the tip of his tongue. Settling closer to his boyfriend, he leant against Rye's arm and smiled as the other boy lifted it so he could slot himself under. 

There was a comfortable quiet for a moment before Rye asked quietly, "You working on a new song?"

"Yeah, I've got the chorus and hook so far before I'm stumped for verses. At least I've got the melody down though, and a good set of chords I think."

"Everything you do is incredible Andy, don't doubt yourself."

The blonde smiled fondly, constantly amazed by how free-flowing and effortless Rye's support was, like it was second nature for Rye to just compliment him so often and randomly.

"As much as I appreciate you, you know flattery won't distract me. Wanna tell me why I can see your eyes are red and your cheeks have wet patches?"

Rye sipped his tea, stalling for time. Andy let him. He had a proper drink of his own hot beverage and had to admit it was really good. Who knew that RoadTrip could make such nice hot chocolate? He watched as Rye put his mug on the bedside table and he mirrored him on his own side of the bed.

"I'm sad."

Andy blinked at the easy confession. It was never normally this easy to get Rye to talk about his feelings. He shuffled them down the bed so they were laying down, Rye's head on his chest for once instead of their normal position the other way around.

"Why are you sad, baby?"

"I was watching some old fan edits, just a massive playlist of them on YouTube and then it just turned into videos of Rykey and Mindy moments and it just hit me with nostalgia."

Andy swallowed, running a hand through Rye's hair as his own mind started bringing up memories - some really recent - of their now former band mate. It hadn't been that long but the year was going by so quickly it felt like a lifetime ago. He knew at the time Rye was putting on a brave face but with their hectic schedule he'd thought they could all be distracted enough not to dwell on Mikey's departure too much. He should've known sooner or later that something had to give, it just broke his heart that it was Rye.

He fought down the lump in his throat as Rye quietly admitted, "I miss him, Andy. I miss him loads."

"I miss him too."

Rye looked up at him, eyes shiny and bottom lip trembling. Andy kissed his nose and a part of his spirit lifted at the tiny smile that replaced the wobbly pout.

"Can we watch those videos and be sad together?" The blonde asked, hugging Rye to his chest.

"I don't want you sad though."

"I've got you, I'll cope. I think I need a cry too."

Rye stood up and left the room, quickly returning with his laptop where Andy saw the random playlist of videos sitting paused. They readjusted the pillows, curling up together and tucking their legs under the covers. Returning to their original position of Andy tucked under Rye's arm, the older boy hit play.

Cuddled close, they laughed, they cried, they remembered the good, bad and in between times as they watched through fan videos and then their own vlogs. Watching from the very first time Mikey sat in Blair's flat, wearing that shirt and those smart trousers, to the video they'd posted to announce to fans the other boy was leaving RoadTrip.

Eventually they switched the laptop off, wiping each other's tears and exchanging sweet kisses. They had the memories to hold onto and they were grateful they could watch them back whenever they wanted to. Mikey may have left the band but he'd forever be a part of RoadTrip's story, and a part of them.


	3. Jandy/Fluff - Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is a little inspired by Andy's recent insta live where he addressed some stuff and also the Jandy/Fluff live which I really loved. Little bit of swearing because I felt it fit so if you're offended by bad language I apologise. In no way can I speak on behalf of the boys so everything is fiction with a hint of what was said by the boys.

Something had woken him up. He was warmer than normal, that could've been it, or it could've been a sound outside, but Jack was pretty convinced it was the empty space next to him.

The space hadn't been empty when he'd gone to bed, instead a warmth had been pressed against his side and it was comforting. Jack could fall asleep anywhere at any time with very little hardship so it was no surprise he'd been out within a few minutes. That didn't explain why there was an empty space though.

He got out of bed, shivering slightly at the early morning chill running through his room. He picked up his phone from the bedside table and peered at the time. The brightness hurt his eyes and he quickly turned it down, able to read that it was twenty past three in the morning. They'd only gone to bed at midnight. He snagged a hoodie from the pile of clothes accumulating on the chair in the corner and slipped it on, fighting to get his head through without choking himself.

Jack crept downstairs, fully aware that everyone else was probably still asleep or working quietly. Stopping in the kitchen, he saw the remnants of what he could only assume was Brook getting a late night snack if the mess was anything to go by. He sighed and tidied it into one manageable pile, quickly putting a post-it note next to it saying 'clean this pls!'.

He poked his head into the room with their pool table, seeing that also devoid of anyone else in the house. He went into their living room, sighing at the sight of silly string stains they still hadn't managed to get rid of. A soft breeze coming through the room made him look towards the patio doors, the curtain flapping gently where it was ajar. It was then his brain registered the quiet music floating in from outside. Pushing the door open slightly, he finally found his missing bed partner.

"Fovvs?"

Andy looked up, fingers still strumming at his guitar, "Hey, you okay?"

"Could ask you the same thing." Jack replied, taking a seat on the low step where patio slabs met grass next to the blonde. "I woke up and you were gone."

"Didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful." Andy murmured, slowing down his playing. He smiled as Jack rested his head on his shoulder.

"How long you been out here for?"

"About an hour. Couldn't sleep. Needed to get some stuff off my mind and Rye always seems better after he's sat outside in the middle of the night."

"Yeah but Rye's a weirdo." Jack joked, nudging Andy slightly and watching as the older carefully set his guitar down on the grass. "Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

A shrug and a sigh answered him. He lifted his head, turning where he sat to look at Andy properly.

The older boy looked drained. There were lines of stress creasing his forehead and around his mouth from frowning. His eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and if the slight redness was any indication, tears. Purplish navy circles shrouded his eyes, the normally stunning blue duller and darker and sadder. He was even paler than usual, days of being cooped up in his room taking their toll on the blonde. All in all Jack just thought Andy looked tired.

He tugged the older boy closer, almost pulling him to sit on his lap. Arms came up to wrap around his shoulders and upper chest, Andy's forehead resting against Jack's neck. He rubbed soothing circles against Andy's back, feeling him tremble with shuddering breaths as he tried to keep everything bottled inside.

"You can tell me, you know? You can talk to any of us at any time if you need to."

He felt a nod and something in him loosened slightly that Andy at least knew he wasn't alone.

"S'just hard."

It was quiet, Jack almost didn't hear him. He wisely stayed silent and was rewarded with another sigh.

"I don't want to let it get to me. I don't, but when it's constant and for every tiny thing it's hard. Like it's almost as if I can't even breathe without someone sending me nasty comments and I don't even know what I've done? I just want to make people happy and they throw it at me like I've murdered fifty people."

Jack continued rubbing circles between Andy's shoulder blades, feeling the trembling increase with the upset. He felt tears spring to his own eyes and he had to fight down the urge to go find the bubble wrap from moving and bundling Andy in it.

"Then there's everyone saying shit about me and spreading rumours. Even the supportive Roadies, they're accidentally adding fuel to the fire by spouting that I'm depressed and having a mental breakdown. It makes the comments nastier and everyone's worried but if it hasn't come from me I don't get why people believe it."

"You know it's because they care though, right? It's only because they want to see you smiling again. You being upset is like someone switching the sun off, fucking awful."

Andy huffed a soft laugh against Jack's neck, punctuating it with a gentle kiss.

"I know it's out of concern and love, but it's not helping. This break I've had from social media's made me feel better though. I'm just so tired."

As if on cue, a huge yawn overtook him, stretching his whole body back before curling back into Jack's warmth. The younger boy tightened his hold, pressing a kiss to the top of the blonde head.

"Let's go to bed. I'll message Rye to make sure the others stay quiet and we'll have a lie in, just me and you."

"Sounds good."

Jack stood up, pulling Andy up with him and giving him a proper hug - arms fully wrapped around the shorter boy and face tucked into his neck. He felt Andy's arms tighten around his chest and his cheek rest firmly against his shoulder. They stayed that way for a whole minute before going back inside and upstairs to Jack's room.

They both took off their hoodies, stripping down to their underwear before curling up under the covers. Jack laid on his back, Andy half next to and half on top of him.

Ear pressed firmly to the part of Jack's chest where he could hear the soft thump-thump of Jack's heart, Andy smiled contently, "Thank you."

"Anytime Fovvs. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Now go to sleep, it's like four in the morning and I don't want to wake up until at least eleven."

Andy chuckled, snuggling closer and agreeing as he drifted off.


	4. Randy - Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally something just soft.

Andy frowned as the door shut, his cheek still tingling from the multiple quick kisses Rye had pressed to it as he left. His boyfriend was off yet again, taking Robbie and Jack with him to scout out some locations for music videos. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the hard work Rye put into the logistics of their videos, but it seemed lately they were both too busy and hardly had time for each other. Between Ryan trying to make sure their videos came out spectacularly and Andy himself working with Charlie to arrange and compose the tracks to truly showcase their voices, they were both exhausted by the end of the day. He was struggling to remember the last time he and Rye had been able to spend more than an hour in the evening just the two of them. The thought made him sad, and it spurred within him the idea for the best date night ever.

Gently patting the space where Rye had been laying with his head in his lap, Andy stood up and left his room. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he could hear Brook and Sonny yelling at each other in the garden. He cut through the living room, popping through the double doors in time to see Brook throw a ping pong ball at Sonny. The taller boy yelped as it smacked him in the side, hand quickly rubbing the sore spot as he glared at the blonde.

"That was just unnecessary Brook." Andy laughed, grinning as the younger boy looked at him sheepishly. "Sonny can't help it if you suck."

Brook stuck his tongue out, pouting as he went and fetched the ball from the grass. He placed it back on the table, resting it between the paddles so it wouldn't roll off.

"Did you just come out here to mock me?" He joked, unable to hide his smile.

Andy laughed again, "Nah, I actually came to see if you guys were willing to help me out with something."

"Of course Fovvs, you know we would." Sonny grinned fondly as Andy ducked his head a little.

"Sweet, let me make some tea and I'll tell you the plan."

He wilfully ignored Sonny's snarky comment of him turning more into Rye everyday.

Ten minutes later and the three of them were huddled together in the garage, hoping that if anyone suddenly arrived home they'd have some more time before they were found. Brook turned and propped one leg up on the sofa.

"So what did you want help with?"

Andy took a deep breath before starting, "So you know how we've been swamped lately?"

He waited until the other boys had nodded.

"Well basically Rye and I get like no time together. I'm always in the studio and he's always off doing Rye things and when half the time when we're together we're not really because we're working. I just miss him."

He valiantly fought down the blush he felt rising as Sonny and Brook both cooed at his comment.

"So you need us why?" Sonny asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I need you to help plan the perfect date night. He's been working so hard on getting us shooting locations and venues and stuff and I want to spoil him and make him feel special. I was thinking something down by where the forest meets the lake, maybe a tent with blankets and pillows and fairy lights, we can just chill with nature the way he likes."

Brook and Sonny shared a fond look before looking back at the older boy.

"We're in."

"Hell yeah, he'll love that."

Andy grinned, "Let's get to work then boys."

\--/--/--

Rye frowned after shutting the door, lips still tingling lightly from where they'd been scratched by Andy's light stubble. He made his way down the stairs, so distracted by his own thoughts he forgot to fight Jack for the front seat in Robbie's car. Sitting in the back, he looked up from buckling his seatbelt to see both his brother and Jack staring at him with slightly concerned expressions.

"You okay bro?" Robbie asked, starting the car after Rye nodded.

"You sure?" Jack still hadn't turned back around, needing to use a hand to stop his seatbelt cutting into his neck. "You don't look okay, you look sad."

Rye rolled his eyes as Jack finished his sentence with a pout.

"I'm fine!" He insisted, running a hand through his hair, "I'm just thinking is all."

Robbie commented lightly, "That's dangerous."

Jack rolled his eyes, looking back at Ryan, "What are you thinking about? You look in pain."

Rye turned to look out the window, watching the scenery whip past as Robbie turned onto the main road. "Just that I miss Andy."

Robbie and Jack shared a confused look, the younger of the two replying, "But you see him literally every day?"

"Not like that you donuts, I see him but we never get proper time together. He's always in the studio and working so hard on the music, and then I get busy trying to sort other things and it feels like the only time we get together that isn't work related, we're both too tired to really enjoy it. I just miss him."

The boys in the front seat let him trail off, this time sharing a sad look. They continued to drive in silence, Jack having already exhausted the radio options and decided that there was nothing good playing. Seeing a sign for the next exit, Robbie grinned as he felt a genius idea forming. He took the detour, shushing Jack's question and making sure Rye was still zoned out in the backseat.

Rye's head slipped off the hand that had been propping it up as Robbie parked the car, the stop a little harsher than intended. He shook his head, trying to get awareness back as he heard the others get out. Joining them by the driver's door, he looked up confused.

"This isn't where I said we were going looking at?"

Jack laughed as his words came out jumbled, "Ignoring that actually making no sense, we're here to help you give Andy the best date night ever."

Robbie ruffled Rye's hair, the befuddled expression on his brother's face making him look like a lost puppy. "What Jack means is we're going to pick up some stuff for you two to have a perfect date night tonight, while the other boys and I handle everything else for a while."

As understanding slowly dawned, Rye couldn't help but grin and quickly dragged the other two into a hug. "Yes! Right, follow me I know exactly what I want."

\--/--/--

Returning home several hours later, Jack went in first to check no one would see their purchases. It would do no good for Andy to see everything they'd bought. Instead of Brook and Sonny being loud about the something or another, the house was quiet. It was disconcertingly quiet. He quickly shot Robbie a text to wait outside another minute or two as he double checked the house was empty. As he entered the kitchen, a piece of paper on the table caught his attention. He quickly scanned it, shouting to Rye and Robbie that the coast was clear.

"Where are they?" Rye asked, setting the three bags he was carrying on the table.

"They wrote a note, said they've gone food shopping because they want to make something special for dinner."

"And we're how concerned about the fact both Brook and Sonny said they wanted to cook?" Robbie laughed, quickly heading back to the car to fetch the last bag.

Jack laughed, "To be fair it's Andy's handwriting so hopefully he will supervise and we won't die."

Rye started sorting through the bags, reorganising them so he could easily group together everything he needed for his date with Andy. He mentally went through a checklist as he debated what would be best put where. A brand new almost navy blue blanket, quite possibly the softest he'd ever owned was placed on top of two large overstuffed pillows, and a box of stringed multicoloured fairy lights was packed in with two small lanterns. Rye smiled softly as he picked up the last bag which had some tarpaulin squished inside, obviously he didn't want any of their new comforts to get mucky from where he planned on taking Andy.

A car door slamming outside made them all jump, Rye quickly rushing away upstairs with his bags as Robbie and Jack started sorting through the others of things they'd actually bought for music video purposes.

"Yeah, I think that would look good in the background for the next time we do a soft cover." Robbie shot Jack a look which screamed 'just go with it' as Sonny and Brook entered the kitchen with arms ladened with supermarket bags.

"What's up boys?" Brook greeted cheerfully, setting his load down next to the kitchen table.

"Nothing much, we were worried when we saw your note about you wanting to cook, you feeling alright?" Jack teased, quickly setting to work on helping Sonny put the food away.

"Ha ha, very funny, last time we offer to do anything nice for you." Brook stuck his tongue out, smiling gratefully at Robbie as he started helping unload the bags he'd brought in.

A few minutes later Rye walked in, immediately looking around for his boyfriend and frowning when he couldn't see him.

"Where's Andy?"

Sonny looked up from putting away the last of the food shop. Behind him he heard Brook and Jack bickering, and Robbie had slunk off to get some editing done.

"He's in the studio. Said he had some work to do."

"Oh! Thanks, I'm gonna go say hi." Sonny felt really awful about having to ruin the soft smile that lit up Rye's face.

"No!" He realised how suspicious his quick response sounded and internally winced.

"No?" Rye's face twisted in confusion.

"He uh, he said that, uh he didn't want anyone to disturb him. It's the final touches and he wants absolute peace and quiet, no distractions, so he can make sure it's perfect."

Sonny fought down the urge to whine at making his friend look so sad with his panicked reply. He shot Brook a desperate look, needing something to make Rye stop looking like a kicked puppy as he was told his boyfriend didn't want to see him. A tiny part of him melted at how soft Randy were for each other, but as Rye seemed to resign himself to yet again not spending time with Andy, Sonny felt awful. Luckily it seemed Brook had picked up on the meaning behind his look as the younger boy suddenly sprang into action.

Simply just dropping what he was holding, Brook flung himself at Ryan, wrapping an arm around the older boy and exclaiming, "Rye! Let's go watch a movie, you promised me we could watch Minions again."

Rolling his eyes at the blonde's enthusiasm, Rye fought down a smile as he was herded out of the room.

It was quiet in the kitchen, only the sound of Jack clearing up the things Brook had dropped before the Irish boy turned to face Sonny.

"Okay talk."

"I don't know what you mean." Sonny averted his eyes.

"You're planning something, or Andy is and you're helping. No way does Andy not like Rye sitting in on the studio work, he trusts his opinion more than anyone about that stuff, except maybe Charlie's. Now spill."

"What are you, psychic?" Sonny quickly grabbed Jack's arm, pulling him outside and round to the front of the house. "Okay yes, Andy is planning a super sweet date night for Rye because they've not spent a lot of time together."

Jack rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the grin on his face.

"Those idiots. Rye's literally doing the same thing. He was all mopey in the car because he misses Andy so we bought a load of stuff for them to have a night down by the lake."

Sonny laughed, "That was literally Andy's plan. We bought food for a picnic but we also got a tent and some fairy lights and a blanket. He's charging both their laptops up and making sure his guitar's in tune so that they can cuddle and watch movies or Andy can serenade him or whatever."

Jack facepalmed. "We bought giant cushions, a blanket, fairy lights and lanterns. They're so dumb!"

"Tell you what, let's steal their stuff and set it up all nice for them, then I'll tell Andy to sort the picnic and we'll text Brook to keep Rye distracted."

"Deal."

\--/--/--

"Where the hell are you taking me?!" Rye laughed, trying to wiggle his head away from Andy's grip so that he could see.

The shorter boy was pressing his hands against his boyfriend's eyes, gently nudging him in the right direction he needed to. He laughed as yet again Rye attempted to sneak a peak. Pushing his hands a fraction more firmly against the taller boy's cheeks and forehead, he guided him down the small trail Sonny had told him he'd cleared earlier and towards the lake. Knowing how much Rye loved nature, he smiled softly at the slight release of tension as the sounds of the lake lapping against the shore reached them.

"We're almost there and then you can see, okay?"

Taking the huff as an affirmative, he carefully manoeuvred the two of them over to the tent pitched about twenty feet from the water's edge. Stopping directly in front of the tent, he asked Rye to keep his eyes shut so he could perfect the few finishing touches.

"Okay you can look now."

Rye slowly opened his eyes and couldn't stop the gasp that escaped him, nor could he hide the surprise on his face.

A golden glow surrounded them, the twinkling fairy lights strung along low hanging tree branches creating an ethereal feeling. A tent had been set up, the floor lined by soft blankets and padded with the large cushions Rye remembered buying earlier that day. Another almost impossibly fluffy blanket had been flung on top, the intention for it to be used as a cover made clear. The outer edges of inside the tent had been lined with the multicoloured fairy lights, an orange lit lantern hung from the roof. Two more lanterns were outside, one either side of the tent's entrance, each with a string of fairy lights trailing towards to the lake. The sun starting to set in the distance completed the picture in front of him and Rye could honestly say he'd never been so impressed and confused as he was then.

He turned to look at Andy and his confusion only grew as the shorter boy also looked slightly puzzled.

"Did you set this up?"

Rye shook his head, "Did you?"

"I mean I was going to then Sonny said he would sort it for me. But I didn't buy the lanterns or the cushions, or that massive blanket."

"I bought them. I don't know how they got in the tent though?" Rye tilted his head, brows drawn together.

"Wait, you bought the cushions?" Andy finally stood next to his boyfriend, linking their fingers subconsciously.

"I was going to surprise you. You've been working so hard lately and we barely get time together so I wanted to give you a perfect, peaceful date night, just me and you."

Andy laughed then slapped a hand over his mouth. He had to keep giggling at the hurt look and pout Rye gave him in return.

"That's literally what I was doing! I know you've been so busy finding songs for us to cover and locations and venues to shoot in and planning videos with Conner and Alex I wanted to give you a break. I know how much nature centres you and I've missed you."

Rye laughed as well, pulling Andy into a tight hug and burying his face in his neck to muffle his laughter. Andy hugged the taller boy even tighter, pressing his forehead against his shoulder as he chuckled.

They manoeuvred themselves inside the tent, cuddling up under the blanket, Rye pressed against Andy's side as the older boy played his guitar. The picnic Andy had made was thoroughly enjoyed as they fed each other little bites and looked out over the lake. They sang quietly together, to each other, and watched the sunset as Andy just played soft melodies.

Rye, true to form of him chasing sunsets, took a photo for Instagram of him kissing Andy's cheek as the blonde grinned with closed eyes, the beautiful sky behind them and a lantern in front casting a golden hue across their faces. He posted one to his story, new post hidden but tagging their bandmates and his brother to thank them for helping set up their date. The other was posted, the caption simply saying "perfect x".


	5. Randy - Quick, Kiss Me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First prompt! Thanks very much to Puzzledsleuth for their lovely support, it's very much appreciated, and for them suggesting this one.
> 
> Prompt was: "Not quite sure where this would fit, though it felt kinda like a high school AU (I hope AU requests are ok btw!!) to me, but Rye and Andy are talking, and they see one of their exes, and whoever it was who had the ex just gets the strong urge that they want them to see them being happy with someone else, so without thinking they go "Quick, kiss me!" and the other's like ???? and they're like "I'll explain in a minute, just do it, *please*" and so they do, and they start realising their Feelings for each other"

The crowded hallway was awash with noisy teenagers, the overall hum of chatter as people moved from one classroom to the next created a buzz in the atmosphere. Andy stood off to the side, nestled comfortably out of the way as he waited for his friend to be released from his class. He checked his phone, smiling at the texts that Jack and Sonny had been sending him during their lessons. The door next to him opened, the first person escaping the room being the person he was looking for. He grabbed Brook's arm, laughing when the younger boy whirled on him in shock.

"Don't scare me like that!" Brook snapped but there was no malice in his tone.

"Come on, if we don't hurry the nice spot under the tree outside will be gone and you know how much that'll annoy the others."

"Remind me how we managed to pick those people to be best friends with." Brook deadpanned, following Andy anyway as the older blonde lead the way outside for their morning break.

"They're not that anti-social, they're just intolerant of gossip, which is all this school is filled with." Andy admonished lightly, already spotting Jack and Sonny sat under "their" tree.

The two taller boys were already strewn across the grass, long limbs spread out and clearly sending a message that the space was reserved. Brook rolled his eyes, flopping down directly on top of them and laughing at the twin huffs he was met with. He rolled onto the grass in between them, eyes shut as he rested.

"Where's Rye?" Sonny asked, looking up from poking Brook's cheek. "He said he was gonna meet up with us after class but he never did, assumed he'd found you and forgot to text us."

Andy shrugged, "I haven't seen him since first period. No idea where he is."

"Found him." Jack had finally sat up, looking over at the school library which their missing friend was now walking away from.

The Irish boy frowned, he could tell even from a distance that something was wrong with the older boy. Rye's shoulders were slumped, hands stuffed deep down in his hoodie pocket and head dropped low. His hair hung limply over his forehead, his face hidden. Concern bloomed within him, especially when all three of the other boys looked just as worried. They were quiet as Rye approached them, the silence awkward and only broken by Sonny unable to hold in his coughing.

"Hey." Rye's greeting was short and soft.

"Hey Rye, where'd you go? Sonny and I waited for you after class."

Rye shrugged and sat down with a solemn expression. Sonny wrapped his arm around around the other boy's shoulders, noting with both fondness and concern that Rye immediately leaned against him.

"Ended up getting called back by the teacher, something to do with potentially tutoring someone else and asking if I would be willing to volunteer. Didn't realise they'd be there when he asked me."

"Who did he want you to tutor?" Brook asked, shifting so he could see his four friends better. In doing so he didn't miss the way Andy's eyes softened immensely as he watched Rye playing with the rings on Sonny's fingers subconsciously as he spoke.

"Ella Charlesworth."

"As in Andy's ex, Ella Charlesworth? The girl who ended up being potentially the biggest bitch in the school Ella?" Jack's mouth hung open, remembering the fallout from that break-up. 

"One and the same."

"What did she say about you tutoring her?" Andy asked, leaning forward and placing his hand on Rye's knee without even realising.

"The same sort of bull you'd expect her to say to the teachers, that she'd love the extra help to improve her grade and that she's sure it'll work out great blah blah blah."

Andy rolled his eyes, he knew exactly what his ex was like. He still can't believe that he dated her for nearly a year. Looking back at Rye's face, he could tell there was something else, something Rye didn't want to mention. It was evident in the way he was still trying to avoid eye contact with any of them, the way his hands were still flitting between his hoodie pocket and the rings on his own and Sonny's fingers, the way he was gladly seeking affection as opposed to his normal feigned begrudging acceptance. Andy caught Brook's questioning gaze and subtly shook his head, but his attention was grabbed by Jack deciding to break the tension.

The rest of their break went by quickly, Jack's antics lightening the mood, even causing Rye to crack a smile. He was still leaning against Sonny but his hands were no longer carrying out his anxious ticks. Instead they were covering his mouth as he laughed at whatever story Jack was now exaggeratedly telling. Andy had stopped paying attention, far too busy staring at 'his boy'.

If you asked Andy when he started thinking of Rye as 'his boy', he wouldn't be able to give you an exact answer. All he knows is that one day he looked at Rye and it was as if time just stopped and nothing else existed. If he thought hard enough, Andy would say it was at Brook's house, the five of them just mucking about watching movies and having a lazy day. It was while they were arguing over what to watch next, Jack and Sonny getting into a particularly passionate argument about the merits of their chosen film. Brook was trying to stand between the two but just ended up looking ridiculously small, and Rye was laughing at the three of them. Brown eyes crinkled at the edges to almost shut, grin wide and for once he wasn't hiding his real laugh, Andy loved how genuine the amusement was. It was at that moment that he thinks he realised maybe he wasn't so interested in his girlfriend.

Four months later he'd found out just how much of a bitch she could be and that ended that relationship. It was also the reason literally none of the boys could stand her, Rye especially and that was something she seemed to have a vendetta against. Andy could only assume Rye's subdued demeanour was the result of something she'd said to him.

The warning bell for the next set of lessons to start startled him out of his musings, watching as Brook groaned and rolled over to poke at Rye. Sonny rolled his eyes, pushing Brook out of his way as he stood up. 

"I'll see you guys at lunch, I can't be late for history again or I'll get a right bollocking." With that the tallest of the group was gone.

Brook had grabbed Rye's hand, dragging him along with him and babbling about hating maths with a passion. The older boy turned to wave back at the remaining two, gaze lingering on Andy's face out of habit. Andy smiled and waved back. He turned to look at Jack and his brows furrowed at the smug smirk he was met with.

"What?"

"You are so smitten it's adorable."

Andy couldn't even deny it, so he instead opted for smacking Jack's arm and leading the way to their English class.

\--/--/--

What felt like forever later, after a gruelling double period of English, Jack and Andy spilled into the hallway along with their classmates. They quickly met up with Rye and Brooklyn, the younger of the two still complaining about his hatred for maths. Andy almost felt sorry for him, considering they'd also had a double period, but that dwindled rapidly as Brook dipped into whining territory. Luckily for him Jack was an expert at distractions and quickly swept him into conversation that was not maths related.

He fell into step with Rye, no conversation needed, their silence easy and comfortable. They watched as Jack herded Brook out the double doors leading back to 'their spot', muttering something about finding Sonny as his history room was on the way there.

An obnoxious laugh caught his attention, the slightly nasal tone of it setting his teeth on edge. It was familiar in a painful way and he turned to see Ella Charlesworth and her lackeys giggling together while trying to avoid making it obvious it was something to do with either himself or Rye. He rolled his eyes and went to open the door to follow his friends when an uncontrollable urge swept through him.

He turned to face Rye, lacing his fingers through the taller boy's as he did. Brown eyes reflected confusion as they gazed back at him.

"Quick, kiss me."

Rye's eyebrows made a valiant attempt to reach his hairline.

"Please, I'll explain after but just trust me."

He met Rye half way, free hand coming up to cup his cheek as the distance between them reduced to nothing. Thumb smoothing along Rye's cheekbone softly, he was disappointed when the other boy pulled away. He couldn't help but chase him for one last peck. When he opened his eyes, he caught Ella's furious expression in his peripheral, a smug satisfaction flooding him as she turned and stormed off. Focus returned to Rye, he revelled in the bright blush staining his cheeks.

"Are you uh, are you going to explain now?"

Andy kept their hands linked together as he led Rye outside, pulling him over to a bench. He waited a minute, pulling together every scrap of courage he had to look Rye in the eyes and confess his feelings.

"I like you."

"I like you too."

"No, like I _like_ you. Like I think I'm in love with you. No, like I'm definitely in love with you."

Rye was silent, eyes wide as he blinked owlishly, staring at Andy as if he'd grown an extra head. Then, he smiled.

Not the one he gave the other boys when he thought they were being idiots, not the one he gave his family, not even the super charming one he used to get out of trouble. No, this was the one he reserved for Andy, the one which made his face soften, his dark eyes almost warm to a shade of honey brown and any lines of stress disappear as they were replaced by happy crinkles around his eyes. It was Andy's favourite.

"That is such a relief because I think I've been in love with you since the day we knocked each other over in PE."

Andy laughed and lifted his hands to Rye's face, fingertips gently pressed against his cheeks. He carefully pulled the other boy's head forward, resting their foreheads together and closing his eyes.

"Does that mean I'm allowed to kiss you whenever I want?" He whispered softly.

He felt a soft pair of lips press against his.

"That answer it?"

Andy grinned and kissed Rye again more firmly, this time wrapping an arm around his neck. He used his free hand to give the middle finger to the other boys who he could hear cheering and whistling in the background.


	6. Mikonny - Tattoo Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is a Mikonny (Mikey/Sonny) one, prompt provided by the lovely puzzledsleuth, they have thoroughly twisted my arm and while I was hesitant to write Mikey into any of these, in this he's left the band but still sees the boys regularly. Prompt as below:
> 
> "this idea came from when Sonny posted on his Instagram story about looking for a tattoo artist. I thought that in this, (especially since he already has a few himself too and would probably know what it's like/what to expect) Mikey would accompany Sonny to get his tattoo done, and everything seems to be going fine, but the tattoo artist seems to he acting a little..weird? And one of them realises, and tells the other when the artist has to leave the room for a minute, that "oh my god, they think we're dating!!" And they sorta have to decide then and there whether they're gonna go along with it, because the person seemed very happy for the 2 of them, and why not make this one person happy?"
> 
> Apparently I'm incapable of not getting carried away, so please enjoy :)

Rye walked through the kitchen, pointedly ignoring Jack and Brooklyn bickering over a card game as they sat at the table. He swatted at Brook's hand as the younger boy tried to grab him, he assumed to try and rope him into refereeing their argument. Rolling his eyes at Brook's pout, he carried on through the door watching Andy and Sonny playing pool.

"I've not had one in years mate so I can't really help you I'm afraid."

"You can't think of any?" Sonny asked, sighing as he missed his shot completely.

"Think of any what?" Rye tilted his head.

"Oh hey Rye, Sonny's wanting another tattoo but hasn't been able to find an artist he likes. He was asking if I knew any in London."

"Why don't you ask Mikey? He got most of his done in London, I'm sure he can suggest someone."

Rye watched as Sonny seemed to draw in on himself and mentally rolled his eyes. The taller boy was so silly sometimes, going all shy whenever their former bandmate was mentioned.

"Do you think he'd mind?"

He saw Andy behind Sonny's shoulder, rolling his eyes and fake cooing at the younger boy's bashfulness.

"No of course not. Tell you what, I'll text him for you and tell him to message you, that way you don't have to worry about messaging first. Okay?"

Sonny nodded, his curls shaking slightly with the movement, and grinned. He clapped a hand on Rye's shoulder as he passed him, going to get a drink and to see if Jack and Brook had killed each other. It was quiet in the kitchen and when the two youngest boys were involved that was never a good thing.

Rye pulled his phone out from his back pocket, quickly shooting a text to Mikey. He felt Andy sidle up next to him, resting his chin on his shoulder from behind as he watched him type. Turning around to face the other boy when he was done, he tapped the blonde on the nose and laughed as Andy pulled a disgruntled face.

"Bet you twenty quid they get together."

Andy thought for a minute, idly tapping his fingers against Rye's chest. "Alright deal, you're on."

They shook hands, giving each other a fond smile afterwards. Andy quickly pressed a kiss to Rye's knuckles and grinned at the soft blush which slowly crept across the taller boy's cheeks and nose. 

"Oh god no, gross, stop that right now!" Brook shrieked from the doorway, covering his eyes, "Go be fond somewhere else."

\--/--/--

Sonny jumped as his phone beeped on the bed next to him. He quickly swiped to unlock it, a small smile crossing his face as he read the message from Mikey. 

From Mikey:  
_Hey mate, Rye said you were looking for a tattoo artist in London and if I knew any. I have a friend who owns his own shop, happy to take you there and have a chat with him?_

Sonny reread the text, taking a moment to come up with a reply which wouldn't make him sound stupid.

To Mikey:  
_Hi, yeah that would be great, cheers! Let me know when is best for you?_

He put his phone back down beside him, resuming his movie to distract himself from waiting for a reply. He was surprised by how quickly his phone beeped at him again.

From Mikey:  
_I'm free Friday if you are?_

To Mikey:  
_Sounds good :)_

\--/--/--

Friday came around quicker than expected and Sonny was actually nervous as he stepped off the train. He looked at his phone, double checking that he'd read Mikey's text correctly and he wasn't in the wrong place. He heard his name being called and he looked up, smiling slightly as he saw the boy he was waiting for walking towards him. Sonny reached out to shake Mikey's hand, a tiny part of him feeling foolish for being so formal, but he let out a surprised squeak as Mikey used that hand to pull him into a hug.

"Good to see you mate! How's things?"

It took Sonny a minute to recover, captivated briefly by the intense blue of Mikey's eyes, but once he did he found their conversation flowed easily. They were laughing as they got to the tattoo shop, Mikey kindly holding the door so the taller boy could enter first.

"Mikey, good to see you!" The man behind the counter stood up from his seat, coming around and pulling Mikey into a one armed hug.

"Hey man, yeah all good thanks. Oh, Dave this is Sonny, Sonny this is Dave."

"Nice to meet you." Dave shook Sonny's hand, the younger man noticing the intricate artwork covering the artist's forearm.

"I love the line work on that piece man."

Dave twisted his arm to let Sonny see the whole tattoo. "This one was done by Hayley, she's actually got space free today if you're interested in letting her sketch something for you?"

"That'd be great, thanks."

Mikey gestured for Sonny to follow him over to the sofa by the wall, grabbing the form for the other boy as Dave directed. Sonny quickly scribbled in his details, acknowledging all of the aftercare responsibilities and noting any allergies. A short while later a short woman, her hair a pink ombré and tattoos covering her arms in colourful sleeves, came out to greet them.

"Hey I'm Hayley, you must be Sonny, Mikey's friend."

The two boys stood, Mikey giving Hayley a hug and Sonny smiling shyly at her. They followed her through to a back room, a bed with a clean plastic sheet covering it smelling freshly sanitised. Hayley gestured for Sonny to take a seat on the bed, Mikey hanging back on a chair by a mirror.

"So, what are we thinking?"

"Well, I've got a couple already but I was wanting something for my mum, on my ribs? Not massive, but like still a decent size?"

"Have you had one over ribs before?" She asked, grabbing her iPad and starting to sketch some little designs.

Sonny shook his head softly.

"You've had them before, you know they're not always fun but ribs are up there pain wise. Obviously it depends on your pain threshold and the design but just as a warning."

Mikey found himself smiling as he watched Sonny play with the rings on his fingers as he and Hayley discussed design ideas. It seemed to be a nervous tick, he thought, considering Sonny had also been fiddling with his rings when he'd met him by the train station. It was cute. He was snapped out of his musings by Sonny's sudden excited exclamation and he watched as the taller boy pointed to a couple of things on the iPad, Hayley quickly adding a few lines and turning it to face Sonny properly.

"I really like that. Like really like that."

"Is this the one you want? Or the other one?"

"That one, definitely."

Hayley grinned, quickly heading over to the printer and pushing a few buttons. She soon came back, pair of scissors in one hand and the transfers in the other. Setting Sonny up on the bed, she got to work shaving gently over his side and then cleaning the area. She set the transfer onto his skin gently, making sure the design was straight and had no missing lines or gaps in the ink. After confirming with Sonny he was happy with the placement, she gently pushed him to lay down on his side facing away from her.

"Okay I'm just going to do a little line so you can see what we're working with and if it's okay we'll get this done for you."

Sonny didn't even flinch at the first line, it actually being less painful than he'd imagined and Hayley took it as a sign to continue.

Throughout the process, Sonny remained surprised by how much less it hurt than anticipated. All was going well until she moved to directly over the front of his ribs and he had to bite the inside of his cheek as he winced, fighting not to move and disrupt Hayley's work. Almost as if someone read his mind, a hand appeared next to his own where his arm was above his head. Unthinking, he linked his fingers through the other's hand, squeezing slightly through another particularly painful line.

Mikey saw the wince on Sonny's face, and almost moved on autopilot, shuffling his chair closer. He laid his hand next to Sonny's, smiling softly when the other boy slotted their fingers together. A few minutes later the pressure on his hand eased and the gentle buzz of the tattoo gun stopped. He vaguely heard Hayley say something about just getting a different needle but his focus remained on the boy in front of him.

"How's it going?"

"It's not as bad as I expected, I know some people said ribs were the worst place they've had done, but god I wish I had a bit more cushioning. The front of my ribs burn!"

Mikey laughed at the comment on cushioning, it drawing his eyes to Sonny's stomach. He couldn't help but admire the toned lines of Sonny's chest and abs, the sharp lines of his hipbones prominent thanks to the position he was in. The other boy had gone quiet, clearly grateful for the reprieve but the silence also allowed him to hear the hushed conversation going on in the other room. Tilting his head so as to hear better, he bit the inside of his cheek to stop his laughter.

"Oh my god, they think we're dating."

Sonny barked out a laugh at that, subconsciously squeezing Mikey's hand again with the sudden movement.

"Would that be a bad thing?" He asked, looking up at the shorter boy as best he can.

"I don't think it would be a bad thing at all."

The smile he got in return to his question was so genuine and honest that he was briefly lost for words. He was saved from having to respond to that by Hayley's return. She quickly switched out the needles and asked if he was ready to finish the tattoo off. Nodding quickly, he resettled on his side.

It was obviously more painful with this new needle as Mikey felt his fingers being crushed together a lot more frequently than before.

"You're okay babe." He murmured quietly, the comment having the effect he'd been hoping for.

Sonny seemed to calm instantly, a line of tension bleeding out of his arm and his leg relaxing slightly against the bed. It was Hayley's reaction he was focusing on though, her smile hidden as she ducked her head lower under the pretence of concentration.

Five minutes later and the artist was wiping over her work, double checking she was happy with it. Once done, she gestured for Sonny to look at his new tattoo, turning to gather the wrap to begin the aftercare.

Sonny stood up, wobbling slightly as the feeling came back into his arms and legs. He moved to the mirror, lifting his arm up to allow the best view of his ribs. He was immediately smiling, knowing his mum would appreciate the design he chose for her. He turned his side to face Mikey as the other boy moved closer. 

"What do you think?"

"Looks great babe." His statement was accompanied by a kiss to the taller boy's cheek. He grinned as Sonny blushed something fierce, the tips of his ears immediately burning red.

They returned to the bed, Sonny letting Hayley tape the clingfilm to his side. He listened carefully as she recapped the aftercare process for him, gratefully taking the leaflet and following her to the front desk so that he could pay.

As they left the shop, Mikey waved to his friends. Once outside, he looked up at Sonny, the taller boy still blushing softly. He linked their fingers together again, smiled when Sonny looked at him in surprise. 

"Fancy getting a coffee?"

Seeing it for the invitation it was, Sonny grinned and nodded, squeezing Mikey's hand gently and following him down the street.


	7. Brandy - Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically venting my feelings about Feb 14th through Andy but with a Brandy bromance twist. Ryan are mentioned :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so not my finest work and I hate the way it ends but it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote and I'm happy enough with it to post

Andy hates Valentine's Day. Every year it comes around, and every year he hates its existence. The commercial holiday had just turned into a social media display of one-upmanship and sickening displays of affection. Don't get him wrong, love is love and love is amazing, but the lengths people go to on February 14th were getting out of hand. If you truly love someone you should show them all the time, not just save it for the one day a year everyone cares about your Instagram post. 

Sitting in the living room, Andy rolls his eyes as he hears Rye and Sonny being ridiculous in the kitchen. The two have decided to make cookies in the shape of hearts because it's not enough to flaunt their (admittedly adorable) relationship through cheek kisses and hand holding, oh no, they've got to make a mess of the kitchen and biscuits that declare they love each other. Going back to his guitar, he sighs and plays a few chords, mentally arranging and rearranging them to try and find a sound he likes. The kitchen has gone suspiciously quiet and Andy decides he really doesn't want to know why. He heads upstairs, setting his guitar gently on the bed once he's safely inside his room.

His phone lights up but he can't be bothered to check the notification. It's probably just someone tagging him in yet another Valentine's Day edit and as much as he appreciates and adores the time and effort the fans put in he really doesn't want to see it right now. Looking for a mostly unworn hoodie he spots the pink folded paper on his pillow.

Well that wasn't there before. 

Cautiously opening it (they're RoadTrip, nothing is safe) Andy is surprised to see it's a very simple note. '_You're cute :)_'

What the hell?

Andy feels his eyebrows furrow and he carefully sets the piece of paper on the side table next to his bed. He paces his room a few times, eyes drawn back to the note before his restless legs take him back downstairs. He pokes his head around the door to the kitchen, almost scared to see the mess but he's pleasantly surprised to see that Ryan have cleaned up after themselves. Mostly. The pile in the sink - _they didn't even need half of that_ he thinks bitterly - is at least out of the way and one of them had the forethought to wipe over the counters. Seeing the room void of irritatingly cute couples, Andy assumes it's safe to enter and heads straight to the fridge. The age old dilemma of staring past the open door but not really seeing what was in there takes place before he sighs and shuts the door with a dull thud. Turning around something on the table catches his attention.

It appears as though some consideration was put into making the cookies as well as sharing them. A heart shaped plate, at this Andy can't help but roll his eyes yet again, sits in the middle of the table adorned with various sizes of heart shaped cookies. At least Andy thinks they're supposed to be heart shaped, some are more triangular and some are more of a splat. He picks one up and takes a bite, smiling as they're still slightly warm and the chocolate chips just melt in his mouth. Poking out from under the plate he can see a red slip of paper.

Curiosity piqued, he uses the hand not holding the cookie to tug it from its place and he struggles a moment before flipping it open. It's another note, the same handwriting as on the pink paper currently in his room. '_You are amazing x_'

If it wasn't for the fact that the pink paper was in his room, Andy would guess that he's accidentally ruined one half of Ryan's plans. Except the pink paper was in his room and it's the same handwriting. There's no way Rye or Sonny would get the wrong bedroom. So the note must be for him but who on Earth was leaving them for him to find? Was it one of the boys or was one of them just doing someone else a favour?

Andy shakes his head, takes the final bite of his cookie and slides the paper into his back pocket. If he's honest with himself, it's kind of nice somebody is leaving him little surprises. He still hates Valentine's Day, the corporations can go screw themselves, but he's hating this particular year a little less. He walks back into the living room, sighing as he realises he's come full circle just now without his guitar, and stops dead in his tracks. Sat on the sofa is a teddy bear, a tiny basket held between its paws with some fake rose petals inside and a red ribbon around its neck. The bear itself is a light sandy beige in colour, the fur stupidly soft when he touches it. He picks the teddy up, a quick flash of white causing him to look back down at the sofa cushion and this time the folded paper is cut like a heart. Setting the bear back down, he opens up the white paper and this time doesn't bother fighting the smile that creeps onto his face. '_I know you hate Valentine's Day but hopefully I've made this year more BEAR-able (get it?) xx_'

A noise at the door has Andy's head snapping up and he grins at Brook hovering at the threshold.

"Surprise?"

Andy chuckles and waves the younger boy over, squeezing him in a hug once he's close enough.

"Thanks Brooky."

Brooklyn hugs back tightly, no longer nervous of Andy's reaction.

"I just thought us boys gotta stick together against Ryan's PDA." He smirks as Andy snorts a laugh in response. "Although to be fair they make great cookies and Sonny said we can have all the ones on the table."

Andy smiles softly and gently pats Brook's cheek, "You want a tea, cookies and to watch shitty rom-coms?"

"Now that's a V-Day plan I can get behind."

When Rye and Sonny come back downstairs several hours later, they take several photos of the two other boys conked out on the sofas. Crumbs cover Brooklyn's chest and Andy's half empty mug is dangerously close to slipping out of his sleep lax fingers but the two look peaceful as The Notebook continues to play quietly in the background. Unable to resist, Rye posts on his Instagram story as Sonny covers the blondes up with a blanket after brushing away the mess and placing the mug on the floor. 

Returning to his boyfriend's side, Sonny kisses the top of Rye's head and leads the way back upstairs to their own movie marathon but not before he takes one last photo of Brandy cuddled together.


	8. Ryan - Paper Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a soft boi oneshot really, except it ended up a lot longer than intended oops
> 
> (Sort of based on the song Paper Rings by Taylor Swift)

When Ryan Beaumont first met Ryan Robertson they were two years old.

They went to the same play group and all it took for their friendship to form was the fact that they had the same first name. Within a week they'd surpassed 'friendship' straight to 'best friend' status and it was extremely rare you'd be able to find one without the other. The boys were inseparable over the next two years, which made it all the more heart wrenching on the day that Ryan B walked into the play group main room with tear stained cheeks.

Ryan R wasted no time getting to his best friend's side while he watched his own mum talking to Ryan's mum. Grabbing his friend into a crushing hug, he asked him what was wrong.

"We moving to Spain! I'm not gonna see you again!"

It took well over an hour for either of them to stop crying.

Fast forward almost thirteen years and Ryan Beaumont now predominantly went by 'Rye'.

He looked up at the school building in front of him with trepidation. His first day of Post-16, after spending the majority of his school years in Spain with only the last few back in the UK, he was nervous of not knowing anybody at yet another new school. Rye walked into the main foyer and looked around, hoping he'd be able to find either a friendly face or a member of staff who could help him. Luckily it seemed the school was prepared, a friendly receptionist asking if she could help and informing him that the head of Post-16 would be there shortly to greet him. True to her word barely a minute later a tall man in a shirt and tie was shaking his hand.

"Follow me Ryan and I'll get you sorted with your timetable and also get you someone to show you around the school so you can get a vague idea of where you're going."

Rye nodded, trailing after the man and taking a seat in one of the plush leather chairs in his office. He listened carefully, taking the timetable and the map of the school and studying them carefully while the P-16 Head made a phone call. Five minutes later, a blonde head of hair appeared around the doorway accompanied by deep blue eyes and a dimpled smile.

"You said you needed me, Sir?"

"Andrew, yes come in. Andrew this is Ryan Beaumont, the new student your form tutor told you about last week?"

"Oh yeah! Hi mate, I'm Andrew Fowler but Andy's fine." The blonde held his hand out and Rye shook it with his own small grin.

"Ryan, just call me Rye though."

Nodding and gently taking the other boy's timetable, Andy studied the paper then looked up with a beam, "We've got all the same classes apart from one."

Seemingly happy with how the boys were getting on, the two were dismissed and Andy took Rye on a tour of the school. The conversation between them flowed effortlessly and Rye was relieved to know Andy was in all of his lessons that day.

By the end of the day Rye was exhausted. Learning a new school layout, collecting work so he could catch up with his lessons and meeting countless new people tired him out. At least he'd managed to make some friends, Andy had introduced him to his own group of mates and he already had an invite to a party.

By the end of the week Rye was looking forward to the two day break. His teachers all seemed nice enough, it wouldn't take him too much effort to catch up on the work he'd missed, and he was getting along better with Andy's friends Jack and Brooklyn. Apparently he'd meet Sonny at the party Andy was hosting on the Saturday night, the only one of Andy's best friends he hadn't met yet.

Rye double checked his phone, rereading the text Andy had sent him that morning to make sure he was at the right address. He'd been pleasantly surprised with the fact Andy only lived a few streets away from him, but there were a lot of lanes that connected to the main road and he wasn't convinced he'd found the right one. If the music coming from the house was any indication though, he'd found Andy's home. He rang the doorbell, having to wait a solid minute before it opened and revealed the blonde boy.

"Rye! Come in, come in!" Andy ushered his new friend inside, offering to take his jacket.

The house was crowded, teens huddled in various groups throughout the rooms he could see. The hallway had a large living room branching from it, the speakers either side of the TV lit up with a blue ring on the top suggesting a wireless connection from somebody's phone. Looking further down the hall Rye could see it led to the kitchen, the island in the middle covered in various bottles of spirits, beer and the odd soft drink for those wanting a break or to mix. The stairs to his left were covered in jackets, signifying 'no entry' without the blatant sign. He watched as Andy actually hung his jacket up in the first cupboard under the stairs and couldn't help but feel warmed by the generous display.

Rye jumped as he felt a cold hand slip into his, questioning gaze fixed on Andy as the blonde pulled him through the buzz of people into the kitchen. Andy hadn't let go even as they found an open space, still tugging the brunette behind him as he took a right from the kitchen and down a much shorter hallway. The number of people had thinned out, most of their classmates clearly preferred the living room and kitchen closer to the drinks and thumping music. The new hall opened into a smaller living room, a smaller horizontal speaker across the windowsill releasing a softer and less bass-filled playlist into the room.

Brooklyn and Jack were sprawled across a sofa, Jack wedged into the corner with the shorter boy leaning against him. Brook had his legs resting on top of a much longer pair clad in black skinny jeans that were ripped at the knees. Rye followed up from the black and white Vans to the mystery boy's face and something in his chest lurched with vague recognition. Dark curls were tousled loosely yet effortlessly styled atop an angled face with high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. It was the boy's eyes that caught Rye's attention though, the dark blue-hazel catching the light and appearing a different colour depending on which way he looked. He'd seen those eyes before but Rye just couldn't remember where or when.

"Rye!" Jack cheered and shoved Brook off of himself. The tall boy next to them let out a huffed grunt as Brook landed on his stomach and shot a glare at the Irish boy.

Rye smiled shyly and waved, blushing as he realised it was the hand still linked with Andy's. He caught the way the mystery boy seemed to glare at that, and his smile weakened into something bordering on a grimace. Andy let go of his hand, swapping places with Jack as the taller boy stood to grab Rye in a one-armed hug.

"Oh! Rye, this is Sonny who we've been talking about all week. Sonny, this is Rye, he's new."

Rye uttered a small greeting and his heart sank at the silent nod he received in response. He dropped his head in dismay even as Jack dragged him to get a drink, completely missing the powerful glare Brook was shooting Sonny.

The rest of the night continued in similar fashion. Every time his mood went up (admittedly he could attribute some of that to the alcohol) something would happen with Sonny that immediately made him feel awful. Rye thought he'd been doing a good job of hiding it until Brook cornered him, joined him in leaning against the wall in a quiet part of the house.

"Don't mind Sonjob yeah? He's a bit iffy when it comes to new people. Bad experiences and that."

Rye just blinked at him. He sighed and then responded, "I get it."

"But?" Brook prodded his cheek gently.

"But I'm tired of being the new kid no one trusts or wants to get to know." Rye's voice had dropped to a murmur and he internally cursed Brook for choosing that moment to be perceptive.

"Oh Rye..."

He was pulled into a warm hug, the younger boy crushing him against his chest and holding on tightly. He relaxed after a moment, grateful that he definitely had one friend willing to fight that insecurity for him. Rye pulled away slowly, gently resting his hand against Brook's jaw for a fraction of second, causing the shorter boy to smile softly.

"I think I'm gonna head home, it's getting late."

Brook only nodded and Rye found himself grateful yet again for the understanding.

"I'll tell the others you said bye and I'll text you tomorrow so you know I didn't die overnight."

That made him laugh and Rye grinned at Brook once more before heading home. If he stopped up for another three hours trying to find out as much about Sonny as he could via social media then nobody had to know.

In the coming months Rye found himself returning the passive hostility Sonny was giving him, to the point it turned from rivalry to banter. They'd gone from Sonny barely turning his head in Rye's direction to the taller boy persuading him to follow and jump headfirst into the outdoor pool in the middle of winter. He still thinks they were lucky it hadn't frozen and they didn't break themselves. The other three boys in their group were baffled by the transformation. It seemed as if day by day they evolved from frenemies to just the friend part to best mates, to the point they were borderline inseparable and if one wasn't around the other could tell you exactly where they were, what they were doing and sometimes why.

Andy grinned as he walked back into the living room. They were all camped out in the den at his house, the same room where the five of them first hung out at the party he threw at the end of Rye's first week at their school. The smaller of the two sofas had been pushed as far back against the wall as possible so that the larger one could be folded out into its bed form. They'd been sprawled across the mattress, Brook and Jack balancing dangerously at the end of the bed so they were closest to the TV. He dropped his armful of snacks in the centre, pushing aside a bump in one of the duvets so they wouldn't fall straight off.

Done with the snacks, Andy looked to the top of the bed and couldn't help giggling at the sight. Rye and Sonny were snuggled up in a corner, the taller of the two stretched out along the width of the sofa with his head resting on what would normally be the armrest. His face was turned towards the movie playing on the TV, chin resting on top of Rye's curls. His blinks were long and lazy, Andy could tell he was slowly falling asleep despite the action happening on screen, but at least he was still awake. Rye was pressed against Sonny's side, head resting against where his shoulder and chest met and arm thrown over the taller boy's waist. The brown eyed boy wasn't even pretending to watch the movie, cheek pressed to Sonny's collarbone facing the wall and eyes shut.

Unable to help himself, Andy took in a quick breath then (thankful his mum was out with friends) yelled short and sharp, "Ryan!"

Every one of his friends jumped at the sudden volume, Rye bolting upright and then clutching his head as Sonny gripped his jaw.

"What?" The twin response made him laugh before it tapered off as Rye and Sonny stared at one another in confusion.

"I'm Ryan."

"Technically so am I." Sonny replied, gently feeling his teeth where they'd been knocked together.

Rye pressed his hand to the back of his head, the spot where Sonny's chin had dug in throbbing painfully. "Wait wait wait wait. Your name is Ryan. So your full name is Ryan Robertson?"

"Yeah?" The pause was thoughtful. "Wait, you're Ryan Beaumont?"

The three other boys had huddled on the end of the bed, movie forgotten behind them and popcorn now consumed while watching their friends come to some magical conclusion about being called Ryan.

"You didn't go to Auntie Mary's play group did you?" Rye was almost hesitant asking, but as he stared into Sonny's eyes he knew.

"I did." The warm smile that formed on Sonny's face told Rye that he knew too. "You trapped your fingers in a cupboard on the first day."

"You cut your head falling off the slide in the garden when we were three."

"You had to leave because you were moving to Spain when we were four."

"We both cried for over an hour." Rye finished, now sat directly opposite the taller boy.

"Oh my god, this is better than the movie!" Brook stage whispered to Jack and Andy, hands clasped together in joy and pressed to his chest.

It was quiet for a moment, the boys at the end of the bed watching with curiosity and the two at the head of the bed just staring at each other. Then, Rye giggled. He covered his mouth as he laughed, eyes crinkling and body tilting backwards slightly with the force. He folded over, laughing harder and pressing his fingers into his cheeks to muffle the noise further. Sonny joined him, hunching over as well and pressing his face to the back of Rye's shoulder where the older boy was curled up in front of him. The others were understandably confused despite loving the display of joy in front of them.

A few minutes later, Rye and Sonny had calmed down, laughs tapering off into gentle chuckles as tears were wiped away. Sonny took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush and settling back into the corner of the sofa. 

"Not to interrupt this lovely moment, but do you want to explain?" Andy asked quietly. 

Taking another deep breath, Sonny answered, "We went to nursery together. We became best friends but when we were four Rye moved to Spain and I never saw him again. Not til you brought him to that party, and I hated him at first because he looked just like my Ryan, but I didn't think he could be."

Rye blinked. "You were so hostile because I looked like me?"

Sonny quickly realised what he'd said and blushed, "Uh, yeah. I never stopped missing you, and when you walked in I saw your eyes and thought I'd seen them before but you couldn't be the same Ryan."

Rye's face softened, even from the end of the bed Brook could see the warmth flood the deep brown eyes. Carefully he edged backwards, tapping Jack and Andy gently and gesturing they follow him to the kitchen to give their friends some privacy. The others took his lead and Jack quietly shut the door after them. The two still on the bed didn't even notice them leave.

"I thought that I'd seen your eyes before. It was like finding something I didn't even know I was missing," Rye shuffled closer, "Your eyes have always been special."

Sonny's blush darkened, cheeks flushing a rosy pink as he ducked his head. He chuckled and chided himself for being embarrassed in front of the boy who had punched another kid in the face for laughing when Sonny had had an accident at nursery. Fingers under his chin nudged his head up and he was captured by those warm brown eyes he loved. 

"This is so cliché, but can I kiss you?"

Sonny didn't answer, just leant forward for a soft press of lips against his. His hand came up, cradling Rye's jaw gently, thumb brushing against a slightly stubbly cheek. His eyes closed without him telling them to, leaning further into the kiss as his other hand cupped the other side of Rye's face. The kiss ended and he pulled back slowly, fingertips still pressed gently to Rye's jawline.

"That was nice." Rye smiled, eyes crinkling gently. He quickly leaned in, pecking Sonny's lips again.

"Yeah." 

"Is it cheesy to say I think I've waited my whole life to do that?"

Sonny laughed in response, using his grip on Rye's face to pull him into another kiss, looping an arm around the older boy's waist as he moved closer. He felt Rye press his face to his neck once they broke apart, a butterfly kiss tickling his pulse point. He laughed again at the feeling.

"You know, hating you was the best decision I ever made."

A laugh was snorted against his neck and he yelped at the feeling.

"How so?"

"Because falling in love with you was the best accident to ever happen."

Rye pulled back, eyes wide and mouth open. "You love me?"

Sonny steeled his nerves and nodded, the urge to laugh the question off almost overwhelming.

"I love you too. Think I maybe always have."

Something loosened in the taller boy's chest and he shot forward to capture Rye's lips in another gentle kiss. A noise at the door caught both their attentions and they looked up to see their three friends stood there grinning likes loons. Brook even looked like he was teary eyed.

"Get out you losers!" Rye laughed.

"No, my house I can go where I want!" Andy shouted back, launching himself onto the bed and narrowly avoiding diving off the other side.

The other two joined barely ten seconds later, Jack splitting the pair up by landing between them and Brook going straight for the snacks. Like that, everything was back to normal, and if Rye and Sonny held hands under the duvet then nobody needed to know.


End file.
